As the month-long ‘Unlock-1’ ends on Tuesday, India reported nearly 66 per cent of its COVID-19 cases in June alone, and a concerned Prime Minister Narendra Modi said people not strictly adhering to rules and precautions as they did during the lockdown was a cause of worry.
India’s COVID-19 tally climbed to 5,85,493 with a single-day spike of 18,653. The death toll rose to 17,400 on Tuesday after 507 new fatalities. It was the seventh day in a row that over 15,000 cases have been reported in the country.
From June 1, when relaxations were introduced under Unlock-1, the country has reported 3,76,305 cases. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat account for nearly two-thirds of the total cases till now.
Speaking on the coronavirus situation, Prime Minister Modi, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, said India is in a better position compared to many countries of the world, as a timely imposition of lockdown and other decisions have saved lakhs of lives. The prime minister also reviewed vaccine development efforts as well as India’s preparations for vaccinating its vast population once it is available and asserted that vaccination must be affordable and universal.
